Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

मौंजीमोक्षणवार्तापि कृता नास्य जनुःकृता । गार्हस्थ्यं प्राप्यते यस्मात्कर्मणोऽनंतरं वरम्

Transliteration

mauṃjīmokṣaṇavārtāpi kṛtā nāsya januḥkṛtā | gārhasthyaṃ prāpyate yasmātkarmaṇo'naṃtaraṃ varam

Translation

即便只是传闻说他已行了解除茅草（muñja）圣带之礼——尽管他并未真正如法遵守诸人生阶段——然而就在那一行为后，他立刻获得了下一种“殊胜”的住处：家住期（gārhasthya，居家者之道）。

Word by Word

• मौञ्जी: the sacred thread (mauñjī)
• मौञ्जी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौञ्जी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मोक्षण: removal, taking off
• मोक्षण: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √मुच् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वार्ता: account, report, mention
• वार्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• कृता: was done
• कृता: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अस्ति) इति लुप्त

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जनुः: birth, origin
• जनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृता: was performed/made
• कृता: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अस्ति) इति लुप्त

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder-ship (gṛhastha stage)
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यस्मात्: because of which, since
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• कर्मणः: of the rite/act
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रमवाचक

• वरम्: excellent, best
• वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गार्हस्थ्यम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man’s mauñjī (sacred girdle) being ceremonially released/removed, elders witnessing; the atmosphere is formal yet slightly uneasy, foreshadowing later decline.

Characters & Entities

• mauñjī
• gārhasthya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a life-stage transition (āśrama) as a karmic milestone, while hinting that mere external rites without true discipline are spiritually hollow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on a biographical detail rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mauñjī-mokṣaṇa—removal/releasing of the sacred munja-girdle—marking a transition in life-stage.